Adele Goodwin
The Dunlop Precinct Experience

I have lived in the Dunlop Precinct for nine years now. Initially I was scared… I had very deep concerns for my daughter and I regarding our safety, being alone and not having a family nearby.

As time passed, I started to meet some of my neighbours but still kept very much to myself. I remember saying to one neighbour, “Oh I don’t mind a chat, but I’m not into dropping in for a coffee and hanging around like a bad smell.” She replied, “No, neither am I”. Later I thought to myself, I hope she didn’t think that I was being rude, but I was under the impression most of the people living in Department of Housing did that all day long. The rest [I thought] were either drug addicts, thieves, alcoholics or bikies.

Years have passed and I have become so involved in my community. I can say that now, because over the years I have become just one of its members who has helped it become what it is; a community. A community that does so much more than most other communities do.

Since the announcement in May 2002, the people in the Dunlop Precinct have had mixed emotions. Some want to go and others want to stay. It has become a whirlwind of rumours. First we were told that our precinct was going to start being relocated around 2005, and some people started to think things like, “Well if they are going to be pulling these houses down, why bother putting extra effort into maintaining my gardens?” Some thought, “Why bother worrying about doing anything for the community? There isn’t going to be a community left.” Others thought, “We built this community up and now they are tearing it down.” Others were saying, “It’s never going to happen, there’ll be a change of government and it won’t happen,” or, “They don’t care about us, they’ll put us anywhere.” All these rumours and Chinese whispers were churning people’s insides and this is no good for anyone.

SPOKEN AT THE BRICKS AND MORTAR DAY, WHERE RESIDENTS AND WORKERS FROM MINTO, GOVERNMENT REPS AND OTHER PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS JOINED TO TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE MINTO REDEVELOPMENT.